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Hub AI
MINERVA (spacecraft) AI simulator
(@MINERVA (spacecraft)_simulator)
Hub AI
MINERVA (spacecraft) AI simulator
(@MINERVA (spacecraft)_simulator)
MINERVA (spacecraft)
MINERVA (MIcro-Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for Asteroid) are a series of rovers developed by the Japanese space agency JAXA for the purpose of exploring asteroid surfaces. The first MINERVA was part of the Hayabusa mission, and MINERVA-II are a series of three rovers for Hayabusa2. On 12 November 2005, MINERVA rover was deployed from Hayabusa orbiter with aim to land on asteroid 25143 Itokawa. However, the landing failed as MINERVA missed the asteroid and ended up on heliocentric orbit. On 21 September 2018, first two MINERVA-II rovers successfully landed on asteroid 162173 Ryugu. The third MINERVA-II rover malfunctioned before deployment from the Hayabusa2 orbiter, but it was released anyway on 2 October 2019 to perform gravitational measurements before impacting the asteroid a few days later.
Following the approval of the asteroid sample-return project MUSES-C, a rover was proposed to be mounted on the asteroid explorer, and development of MINERVA began in 1997. Completed in February 2003, MINERVA was Japan's first space rover, and the first asteroid rover in the world.
On 9 May 2003, the MUSES-C spacecraft carrying MINERVA was launched from Kagoshima Space Center, and was named Hayabusa. Hayabusa arrived at its target, asteroid 25143 Itokawa, on 12 September 2005. After a two-month long observation phase, Hayabusa began descent rehearsals in preparation for its asteroid landings. On 12 November, MINERVA was separated from Hayabusa and headed for Itokawa, but the drop failed and thus MINERVA became the smallest artificial object in heliocentric orbit. Following separation MINERVA continued to communicate for 18 hours, transmitting data to its mothership.
After Hayabusa's return to Earth, a successor project, Hayabusa2, began, which also included a rover. While MINERVA was treated as an optional addition in the first Hayabusa, MINERVA-II became part of the nominal payload for Hayabusa2. Launched on 3 December 2014, Hayabusa2 arrived at asteroid 162173 Ryugu on 27 June 2018. MINERVA-II-1, composed of two identical rovers, was deployed from Hayabusa2 in 21 September. Both rovers reached Ryugu's surface, and became the first probes ever to travel the surface of an asteroid. JAXA announced that the rovers have been named HIBOU (previously Rover-1A) and OWL (previously Rover-1B), respectively.
The second rover deployment for MINERVA-II-2 happened 2 October 2019 16:38 UTC. The rover, known as Rover-2 or MINERVA-II-2 failed before deployment, but was released from the Hayabusa2 orbiter anyway to perform gravitational measurements. It impacted the asteroid a few days after release on 8 October.
MINERVA consists of five components, including the rover's body.
These four components were inside the rover.
MINERVA itself is a hexadecagonal prism with a diameter of 12 cm and a height of 10 cm, with solar cells attached to each side. This allows the probe to secure power in any attitude as long as it was in a sunlit environment. For shock mitigation during landing and to protect the solar cells, 16 pins are protruding from MINERVA's surface. Six among them had thermometers inside them to directly measure the asteroid's ground temperature. The pins also functioned as a means to increase friction during the hops.
MINERVA (spacecraft)
MINERVA (MIcro-Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for Asteroid) are a series of rovers developed by the Japanese space agency JAXA for the purpose of exploring asteroid surfaces. The first MINERVA was part of the Hayabusa mission, and MINERVA-II are a series of three rovers for Hayabusa2. On 12 November 2005, MINERVA rover was deployed from Hayabusa orbiter with aim to land on asteroid 25143 Itokawa. However, the landing failed as MINERVA missed the asteroid and ended up on heliocentric orbit. On 21 September 2018, first two MINERVA-II rovers successfully landed on asteroid 162173 Ryugu. The third MINERVA-II rover malfunctioned before deployment from the Hayabusa2 orbiter, but it was released anyway on 2 October 2019 to perform gravitational measurements before impacting the asteroid a few days later.
Following the approval of the asteroid sample-return project MUSES-C, a rover was proposed to be mounted on the asteroid explorer, and development of MINERVA began in 1997. Completed in February 2003, MINERVA was Japan's first space rover, and the first asteroid rover in the world.
On 9 May 2003, the MUSES-C spacecraft carrying MINERVA was launched from Kagoshima Space Center, and was named Hayabusa. Hayabusa arrived at its target, asteroid 25143 Itokawa, on 12 September 2005. After a two-month long observation phase, Hayabusa began descent rehearsals in preparation for its asteroid landings. On 12 November, MINERVA was separated from Hayabusa and headed for Itokawa, but the drop failed and thus MINERVA became the smallest artificial object in heliocentric orbit. Following separation MINERVA continued to communicate for 18 hours, transmitting data to its mothership.
After Hayabusa's return to Earth, a successor project, Hayabusa2, began, which also included a rover. While MINERVA was treated as an optional addition in the first Hayabusa, MINERVA-II became part of the nominal payload for Hayabusa2. Launched on 3 December 2014, Hayabusa2 arrived at asteroid 162173 Ryugu on 27 June 2018. MINERVA-II-1, composed of two identical rovers, was deployed from Hayabusa2 in 21 September. Both rovers reached Ryugu's surface, and became the first probes ever to travel the surface of an asteroid. JAXA announced that the rovers have been named HIBOU (previously Rover-1A) and OWL (previously Rover-1B), respectively.
The second rover deployment for MINERVA-II-2 happened 2 October 2019 16:38 UTC. The rover, known as Rover-2 or MINERVA-II-2 failed before deployment, but was released from the Hayabusa2 orbiter anyway to perform gravitational measurements. It impacted the asteroid a few days after release on 8 October.
MINERVA consists of five components, including the rover's body.
These four components were inside the rover.
MINERVA itself is a hexadecagonal prism with a diameter of 12 cm and a height of 10 cm, with solar cells attached to each side. This allows the probe to secure power in any attitude as long as it was in a sunlit environment. For shock mitigation during landing and to protect the solar cells, 16 pins are protruding from MINERVA's surface. Six among them had thermometers inside them to directly measure the asteroid's ground temperature. The pins also functioned as a means to increase friction during the hops.